What's happening
This bill requires water works corporations to post annual water supply statements online in addition to current notification methods.
Why it matters
Increases public access and transparency. by making annual water supply statements more easily available to everyone, not just those who receive a mailed copy or read the newspaper, through mandatory online posting.
Improves accountability for water quality. by allowing customers, journalists, and advocacy groups to quickly review, compare, and track water quality data and supply issues year over year.
Addresses digital accessibility gaps. by requiring online posting not only on the water provider’s site (if available) but also on municipal websites, broadening access for residents who may not use traditional media.
Could encourage better record-keeping and timeliness. from water works corporations, as the public posting requirement may motivate more diligent compliance with reporting deadlines and data accuracy.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Post Water Reports Online
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 58–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.306
- Referred to health
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
Show 4 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.291
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1455
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 15, 2019
Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, BAILEY, BROOKS, CARLUCCI, COMRIE, MONTGOM- ERY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring water works corporations to post water supply statements online
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 1152 of the public health law, subdivision 1 as added by chapter 752 of the laws of 1986 and subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 62 of the laws of 1998, are amended to read as follows:
1. Each water works corporation shall provide a water supply statement to its customers annually. The annual water supply statement shall either be mailed to each customer or published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the area served by the water works corporation. If the statement is to be published in a newspaper, the water works corporation shall provide ample notification by announcing the publication date and newspaper name either on the customers bill or in the newspaper in which the statement shall appear. A limited number of additional copies, in a quantity to be determined by the water works corporation, shall be provided to customers upon request. In addition, the statement must be posted on the water works corporation's website, if such exists, or be made available to the municipality or municipalities in which the water works corporation services to be posted on such municipalities' website, if such exists.
3. The annual water supply statement shall be mailed [or], published or posted online on or before the thirty-first day of May of each year and shall apply to data received by the water works corporation during the preceding calendar year.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01268-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring water works corporations to post water supply statements online
Purpose or general idea of bill
Require every water works corporation to post the annual water supply statement online.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 requires every water works corporation to post the annual water supply statement on its website or the municipality which the water works corporation serves.
Justification
Under current law, every water works corporation serving a population with 1,000 or more service connections must prepare and provide an annu- al water supply statement to the customers it serves. This statement must include information on the source of the water supply, the popu- lation served, the total amount of water withdrawn, the testing results of contaminants or constituents in the water supply, the treatment the water supply receives, among other things.
The water works corporation must provide the annual water supply state- ment to its customers annually by either mailing it to a customer or publishing it in a newspaper of general circulation in the area served by the water works corporation.
This bill would further require that the annual water supply statement be posted either on the water works corporations website or the website of the municipality in which the water works corporation serves. Posting this information on-line will give residents further opportunities to find information on the quality of their drinking water.
Prior legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
120 days after it shall have become a law
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.